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Using Bilateral Stimulation (A Pre-existing Trauma Technique) After Eating to Reduce Anxiety in People Recovering From Eating Disorders

21 maj 2026 uppdaterad av: San Francisco State University

Bilateral Stimulation Versus Standard Care in the Treatment of Food Anxiety in Eating Disorder Patients: A Pilot Study

The goal of this clinical trial was to evaluate whether bilateral stimulation (BLS) could reduce anxiety and emotional distress after eating in people recovering from eating disorders in outpatient treatment with the primary researcher.

The main question it aimed to answer were:

Did bilateral stimulation reduce anxiety, depression, and/or eating disorder thoughts when used after eating a fear food?

Researchers compared participants who received standard treatment alone to those who received standard treatment plus bilateral stimulation after meals to determine whether BLS reduced emotional distress and negative thoughts related to eating.

Participants:

  • Completed surveys assessing anxiety, depression, and eating disorder symptoms at the beginning and end of 4 consecutive sessions (4-12 weeks in total depending on the frequency of client appointments).
  • Chose to participate in either a standard treatment group or an intervention group

Participants in the intervention group also:

  • Ate 1 meal per week before or during session, including a "fear food" (defined as food avoided out of fear of what might happen, i.e., weight gain, vomiting, guilt/shame).
  • Completed brief questionnaires about their thoughts and feelings after eating
  • Participated in 3-5 minutes of bilateral stimulation (side-to-side tapping) guided by the researcher
  • Reported on changes in their thoughts and emotions following the intervention

The intervention was delivered over 4 consecutive sessions alongside standard treatment.

Studieöversikt

Status

Avslutad

Betingelser

Intervention / Behandling

Studietyp

Interventionell

Inskrivning (Faktisk)

8

Fas

  • Inte tillämpbar

Kontakter och platser

Det här avsnittet innehåller kontaktuppgifter för dem som genomför studien och information om var denna studie genomförs.

Studieorter

  • Förenta staterna
    • California
      • San Francisco, California, Förenta staterna, 94132
        • San Francisco State University

Deltagandekriterier

Forskare letar efter personer som passar en viss beskrivning, så kallade behörighetskriterier. Några exempel på dessa kriterier är en persons allmänna hälsotillstånd eller tidigare behandlingar.

Urvalskriterier

Åldrar som är berättigade till studier

  • Vuxen
  • Äldre vuxen

Tar emot friska volontärer

Nej

Beskrivning

Inclusion Criteria:

  • (1) aged older than 18 years;
  • (2) had a current DSM-5 diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or other specified feeding and eating disorder;
  • (3) were deemed to be medically stable, defined as not requiring the use of a feeding tube; had a heart rate between 51-119 beats per minute at rest and blood pressure greater than 70/40 and less than 180/120 mmHg at rest;
  • (4) attending appointments at will;
  • (5) gave full consent (signed informed consent); and
  • (6) could choose to discontinue treatment and/or the study at any time with no consequences.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • (1) aged under 18 years;
  • (2) had a current DSM-5 diagnosis of Pica syndrome, cyclical vomiting syndrome, or subclinical eating disorder;
  • (3) had medical instability, defined as a heart rate less than 50 or more than 120 beats per minute at rest, a blood pressure greater than 180/120 or less than 70/40 mmHg at rest, or orthostatic vital signs accompanied by fainting; and
  • (4) had acute suicide risk.

Studieplan

Det här avsnittet ger detaljer om studieplanen, inklusive hur studien är utformad och vad studien mäter.

Hur är studien utformad?

Designdetaljer

  • Primärt syfte: Behandling
  • Tilldelning: Icke-randomiserad
  • Interventionsmodell: Parallellt uppdrag
  • Maskning: Ingen (Open Label)

Vapen och interventioner

Deltagargrupp / Arm
Intervention / Behandling
Inget ingripande: Standard Outpatient Eating Disorder Treatment (ST)
Experimentell: Standard Outpatient Eating Disorder Treatment plus Bilateral Stimulation (ST+BLS)
Beteende: Bilateral Stimulation
Participants in the intervention group (ST+BLS) completed 4 consecutive sessions. In each session, participants ate a meal or snack, including a self-identified "fear food." After eating, they completed a brief questionnaire assessing thoughts, emotions, and eating disorder urges, and identified preferred thoughts and feelings. The researcher guided the BLS protocol and provided structured prompts, while participants actively performed the bilateral stimulation by engaging in alternating side-to-side tapping (e.g., shoulders, thighs, or feet), selecting the method most comfortable to them. Participants completed three 20-second rounds of tapping while focusing sequentially on: (1) their experience of the meal, (2) desired thoughts, and (3) desired emotional states. Brief discussions occurred between rounds. After BLS, participants completed a follow-up questionnaire assessing changes in thoughts and feelings. The researcher also completed a clinician-rated form.
Andra namn:
  • BLS

Vad mäter studien?

Primära resultatmått

Resultatmått
Åtgärdsbeskrivning
Tidsram
Change From Pre- to Post-Bilateral Stimulation in Self-Reported Anxious Mood After Eating in the Standard Treatment Plus BLS Group Across 4 Sessions
Tidsram: Across 4 consecutive sessions, completed over 4-12 weeks.
Anxious mood was assessed immediately before and after bilateral stimulation following eating episodes in the ST+BLS group. Participants rated anxious mood on a researcher-developed 1-10 numeric rating scale, where 1 indicated "not at all anxious" and 10 indicated "extremely anxious." Anxious mood was defined as worries, anticipation of the worst, fearful anticipation, or irritability. Higher scores indicated greater anxious mood.
Across 4 consecutive sessions, completed over 4-12 weeks.
Change From Pre- to Post-Bilateral Stimulation in Self-Reported Depressed Mood After Eating in the Standard Treatment Plus BLS Group Across 4 Sessions
Tidsram: Across 4 consecutive sessions, completed over 4-12 weeks.
Depressed mood was assessed immediately before and after bilateral stimulation following eating episodes in the ST+BLS group. Participants rated depressed mood on a researcher-developed 1-10 numeric rating scale, where 1 indicated "not at all depressed" and 10 indicated "extremely depressed." Depressed mood was defined as numb, dissociative, shut down, hopeless, lack of pleasure, or depressed. Higher scores indicated greater depressed mood.
Across 4 consecutive sessions, completed over 4-12 weeks.

Sekundära resultatmått

Resultatmått
Åtgärdsbeskrivning
Tidsram
Change From Baseline to End of Treatment in State Anxiety as Assessed by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory in Standard Treatment Versus Standard Treatment Plus BLS
Tidsram: Baseline to end of treatment, 4-12 weeks.
State anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) at baseline and end of treatment. Scores ranged from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety/worse outcome. Change scores were compared descriptively between the standard treatment group and the standard treatment plus BLS group.
Baseline to end of treatment, 4-12 weeks.
Change From Baseline to End of Treatment in Trait Anxiety as Assessed by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory in Standard Treatment Versus Standard Treatment Plus BLS
Tidsram: Baseline to end of treatment, 4-12 weeks.
Trait anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) at baseline and end of treatment. Scores ranged from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety/worse outcome. Change scores were compared descriptively between the standard treatment group and the standard treatment plus BLS group.
Baseline to end of treatment, 4-12 weeks.
Change From Baseline to End of Treatment in Depressive Symptoms as Assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory-II in Standard Treatment Versus Standard Treatment Plus BLS
Tidsram: Baseline to end of treatment, 4-12 weeks.
Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) at baseline and end of treatment. Scores ranged from 0 to 63, with higher scores indicating greater depressive symptoms/worse outcome. Change scores were compared descriptively between the standard treatment group and the standard treatment plus BLS group.
Baseline to end of treatment, 4-12 weeks.
Change From Baseline to End of Treatment in Eating Disorder Symptoms as Assessed by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire-Short in Standard Treatment Versus Standard Treatment Plus BLS
Tidsram: Baseline to end of treatment, 4-12 weeks.
Eating disorder symptoms were assessed using the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire-Short (EDE-QS) at baseline and end of treatment. Scores ranged from 0 to 36, with higher scores indicating greater eating disorder symptoms/worse outcome. Change scores were compared descriptively between the standard treatment group and the standard treatment plus BLS group.
Baseline to end of treatment, 4-12 weeks.

Andra resultatmått

Resultatmått
Åtgärdsbeskrivning
Tidsram
Change From Baseline to End of Treatment in Body Weight (4-12 Weeks)
Tidsram: 4-12 weeks
Body weight (measured in kilograms) was planned to be assessed using blind weight measurements or weights obtained during clinical appointments. Due to the short study duration and logistical barriers, insufficient data were available for analysis.
4-12 weeks
Change From Baseline to End of Treatment in Laboratory Values Related to Nutritional Status (4-12 Weeks)
Tidsram: 4-12 weeks
Laboratory values, including metabolic and hematologic measures related to nutritional status (measured in grams or milligrams per deciliter), were planned to be collected through standard blood draws ordered by licensed medical providers. Due to the short study duration and logistical barriers, insufficient data were available for analysis.
4-12 weeks
Change From Baseline to End of Treatment in Heart Rate (4-12 Weeks)
Tidsram: 4-12 weeks
Heart rate (measured in beats per minute) was planned to be assessed during clinical appointments or via supervised home monitoring. Due to the short study duration and logistical barriers, insufficient data were available for analysis.
4-12 weeks
Change From Baseline to End of Treatment in Blood Pressure (4-12 Weeks)
Tidsram: 4-12 weeks
Blood pressure (measured in millimeters mercury for blood pressure) was planned to be assessed during clinical appointments or via supervised home monitoring. Due to the short study duration and logistical barriers, insufficient data were available for analysis.
4-12 weeks

Samarbetspartners och utredare

Det är här du hittar personer och organisationer som är involverade i denna studie.

Sponsor

San Francisco State University

Studieavstämningsdatum

Dessa datum spårar framstegen för inlämningar av studieposter och sammanfattande resultat till ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieposter och rapporterade resultat granskas av National Library of Medicine (NLM) för att säkerställa att de uppfyller specifika kvalitetskontrollstandarder innan de publiceras på den offentliga webbplatsen.

Studera stora datum

Studiestart (Faktisk)

30 maj 2023

Primärt slutförande (Faktisk)

16 oktober 2023

Avslutad studie (Faktisk)

8 december 2023

Studieregistreringsdatum

Först inskickad

1 maj 2026

Först inskickad som uppfyllde QC-kriterierna

14 maj 2026

Första postat (Faktisk)

22 maj 2026

Uppdateringar av studier

Senaste uppdatering publicerad (Faktisk)

27 maj 2026

Senaste inskickade uppdateringen som uppfyllde QC-kriterierna

21 maj 2026

Senast verifierad

1 maj 2026

Mer information

Termer relaterade till denna studie

Nyckelord

Ytterligare relevanta MeSH-villkor

Andra studie-ID-nummer

  • 2022-258

Plan för individuella deltagardata (IPD)

Planerar du att dela individuella deltagardata (IPD)?

JA

IPD-planbeskrivning

All collected IPD can be shared upon reasonable request in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)

Läkemedels- och apparatinformation, studiedokument

Studerar en amerikansk FDA-reglerad läkemedelsprodukt

Nej

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Nej

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